10 Movies that Defined My Childhood

Unlike the sugary wholesomeness of animated Disney movies, Hook takes on some fairly weighty topics like effective parenting, losing your dreams, and trust. Effortlessly balancing wonder and imagination, with material that challenges its younger audience, Hook is a kids movie that doesn't talk down to its audience. Not to mention that playing pirates is a time-honored activity for any generation. The movie's all-star cast deliver highly memorable performances. Julia Roberts plays a good Tinkerbell and I would be hard-pressed to find a better Captain Hook than Dustin Hoffman.

Oh we all remember this one! If it isn't spawning t-shirts and catch phrases, this movie is rekindling our childhood nostalgia. Male or female, I'm fairly sure the notion of searching for treasure in the backyard has universal appeal. The movie's plot is energetic, mysterious, and hilariously slapstick (crotch shots galore!). The characters are a bit stock, but that can be forgiven when you consider the movie's originality. Having the monster guy be a hero was also appreciated, which helped fight the "if they're ugly, they're bad" mentality supported by so many kid movies. The film's happy ending, and the 'sometimes it pays to act like a kid' message is something I wish I could see more often.

Many people believe An American Tail was some of Don Bluth's best animation, but I would argue that The Secret of NIMH was far better. Much of this movie's appeal was in the down to Earth protagonist, Mrs. Brisby. Unlike many other films, Mrs. Brisby wasn't the larger-than-life hero, but a worried mother who would do anything to help her children. The message that an everyday person could still change the course of history is an inspiring one. The Secret of NIMH makes it easy to identify with Mrs. Brisby as she experiences danger, and relies on her own (non superhuman) level of courage. The Secret of NIMH effortlessly weaves a world in which magical rats somehow seem plausible. Not bad Don Bluth for your first feature film!

I can already hear the protests from the male readers and the cheers from the female readers! In many ways this was a girl's movie because it dealt with topics that I believe woman more easily identify with: don't be intimidated by red hot David Bowie(s), understand that the world isn't fair, and realize that Cinderella-like relationships are really entrapping dreams. While much of the movie is easily forgotten due to the distracting nature of David Bowie's package, the puppeteering is very good and the songs are catchy. Letting go of childhood is difficult and painful to do, but as the film explains, it is necessary to become an adult. But don't bury childhood it forever!

This movie was in tight competition with A Muppet Christmas Carol but I think the adaptation of Robert Lewis Stevenson's book wins by a hair. Both movies are renowned for their songs and famous characters, but the lovable characters in Muppet Treasure Island are particularly irresistible. Each character from Kermit the Frog to Rizzo the Rat effortlessly swing between hilarious and serious. The sets are beautiful and well designed, the dialogue is witty and everything meshes together incredibly well. Somehow a film in which puppet rats tour the ship like a luxury liner and muppets and humans interact with each other create a realistic world without devolving into kitsch. Not to mention the movie's songs, Muppet antics and general hilarity make this movie a time honored classic. I still confess to occasionally popping the movie into my VCR and jamming to Cabin Fever (I've got it toooo!).

I think the real appeal of this movie (aside from the amusement rides and attractions), is the way the movie gives a different perspective on everyday items. A sprinkler system becomes a fountain of death, while the remains of a cookie sandwich is the definition of junkfood bliss. Shrunk down to a miniscule size, the world would is different and intimidating. The set designers alone deserve heroic recognition! Not to mention this was also Rick Moranis heyday when he was the epitome of the nerdy, bumbling geek, but somehow didn't completely turn us off to his antics. Sure there was a bit of 80's teen drama thrown into the mix, but nevertheless, the film got my attention and helped foster my imagination for years to come. Although it had some lackluster sequels, this movie is a staple of great movies from the 1980's.

It's a testament to the movie's success that practically everyone knows the Ghostbuster's theme song. I've also got to give my props to the Xbox 360 game adaptation. Despite being made 25 years later, they still managed to get the original voice cast! That's not bad! Once again, the movie spawned a wide variety of childrens products including an animated television show and countless toys, but the movie deserved the attention. Ghostbusters sports great A-list actors (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigorney Weaver, and others), features a memorable plot and made a scary movie idea into a comedy. Somehow the more kid-friendly ghosts even avoid the Casper the Friendly Ghost lameness. The movie has its own bizarre category and its strange icons (Slimer, the Marshmallow Man, the Firehouse) are still ingrained into our collective minds.

Yes, this movie suffers from Kid's Komedy to a degree, but then again, the slapstick is more humorous than other child hellion movies like Problem Child, Home Alone or *dry heave* Little Rascals. Besides, the casting in this movie was actually pretty decent, and as a result Walter Matthau is still one of the first images brought to mind when we think of the neighborhood grump. This is a children's movie with a children's movie implausibility when it comes to overcoming the main villain (an escaped prison convict), but the mundane actions by Dennis and his friends are very well written and acted. Because the children act like real kids most of the time with plausible children's activities (painting a treehouse, exploring the woods, etc.) I identified with story and characters. Instead of fighting the villain using traps and sheer luck, Dennis prevails by being a well-intentioned, annoying kid who just got in the way. Overall, the film's humor was funny enough for kids, but also decent enough to get some chuckles out of the parents.

Instead of the light hearted musical of the 1930's, this sequel was dark and in many places was quite scary for younger audiences. What really stuck with me as a prepubescent goth kid was how something like Oz in all its wholesomeness could become such a foreboding and scary world. Creepy men who look like they've been taken from A Clockwork Orange chase the protagonists on wheel arms, an evil sorceress collects screaming heads, and a rock monster threatens to eat the characters alive! Wow, was this a kids movie? Call me crazy, but I think this movie was one of the catalysts that started our darker, modern visits back to Oz in books like Wicked or in miniseries like Tin Man. If it started a trend, then that alone is noteworthy! Not to mention it avoided scared little girl stereotype, instead turning her into a wide-eyed Alice that fights to maintain her sanity down the rabbit hole. I mean seriously! The poor kid's parents wanted to electroshock her before the film even starts! If you want a great kids movie with a dark, sinister and dangerous air, look no farther than Oz.

Lets be clear, I only mean the the first one! Little Foot's journey back home is a moving coming of age story, but one that comes a bit too soon. He doesn't have the choice to be a kid when new circumstances are thrust upon him, but he grew up fast and tries to deal with the insurmountable odds in front of him. The characters change as a result of their experiences and become stronger, more resolute, and much more mature than they were at the beginning of the movie. Most kids movies aren't subtle about this idea, but this one was. It really is too bad that this movie was put through sequel after sequel. Fortunately, Don Bluth didn't have his hand in any of the others.